Products: FAQs

  1. Do you have gluten-free options?
  2. Are your products supplied oven ready?
  3. Do your products come with cooking guidance?
  4. How long will game meat keep for?
  5. Do your products contain shot and will there be any bruising caused by the shot?
  6. Is Lead-Shot Game Safe?
  7. Are your products suitable for home freezing?
  8. What are the ingredients of your various stuffings and processed products?
  9. Will the products you deliver look like the photographs shown on your website?
  10. If the meat smells when I open the packaging, is it okay to eat?

 

Do you have gluten-free options?

Yes, we have a range of gluten-free options. Our boned and stuffed birds, including the three bird and two bird roasts (or ballotines), have a choice of stuffings including a gluten free pork based stuffing. The same applies to our venison and wild boar sausages and there is an option for gluten free (rice based) on the venison burgers. Just click on the option that you prefer on the relevant product page.

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Are your products supplied oven ready?

Yes, our team of expert butchers prepare the meat so there is no need for you to deal with fur and feathers. If you would like small game birds and animals in the fur and feather (that is to say untouched by our hands), there is an option on each of the relevant product pages including pheasant, partridge, wild duck, woodcock, woodpigeon, rabbit and hare. If you are purchasing in fur or feather options to prepare yourself for the table, please be aware that we have not been able to do the quality control checks which are normally
undertaken during plucking and processing. As a result the product may have more bruising and damage than we would allow if selling oven ready and this is the risk you have accepted by ordering in feather or fur options.Please also note that some birds, such as woodpigeons, do not dry pluck well in some
cases after carriage in ice packed coolers and are best wet plucked or rinsed during plucking.

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Do your products come with cooking guidance?

Our goose and game roulade are delivered with a cooking guide.  For all our other products we have tried to provide cooking guidance and tips on each product page on our website.  You can also visit the recipe section of our site for cooking inspiration. 

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How long will game meat keep for?

All our products have a use by date on their packaging. In general products which contain minced meat (such as sausages and burgers) have a shelf life of days whereas it will be 10 days from the date of packing for most other fresh meat. Depending on the courier and delivery schedules, the shelf life from the date of delivery for sausages/burgers will be 3/4 days, and 6/7 days for all other meats. Smoked products will have a shelf life of up to 21 days and most fish have a shelf life of 6 days (2/3 days from day of delivery depending on courier schedules).

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Do your products contain shot? 

Some of the meat in the game meat and game bird categories may contain some shot or shot fragments, as they are culled by hunters using shotguns or rifles. The exceptions are squirrel, which is humanely trapped and venison, which is shot with other ammunition made from copper or other metals. Our aim is to eventually move to lead-free across all game meats, but small game shot with shotgun will take a little longer to achieve. 

In most cases the shot is not found in the meat, as shotgun pellets normally rest in the bone or the internal cavity and bullets usually travel right through the body. Shot is made from copper, steel, tungsten, bismuth or lead. It is possible that small game in particular may have slight blemishes caused by shot.  If you notice more bruising than expected, please do contact us attaching a photo so we can review accordingly.


Is Lead-Shot Game Safe?

The Wild Meat Company pays close attention to all research relating to the use of lead ammunition and are satisfied that our customers should not be concerned about eating game that has been shot with lead.  

We firmly believe that if you choose your game wisely and ensure it is properly prepared for cooking, healthy adults should have no concerns about eating game shot with lead. Further information can be found via the link below.

Read more about Lead-shot gameBack to frequently asked questions


Are your products suitable for home freezing??

Yes, we dispatch our products chilled in insulated packaging designed to keep meat at temperatures between 4 and 7ºC during transit.  This means your meat can be frozen on the day of delivery. If you are freezing your products, please open the packaging to ensure you are satisfied with what you have received as we require any issues to be raised within three days of receiving perishable products (see T&Cs)

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What are the ingredients of your various stuffings and processed products?

Our ingredients page lists all the ingredients and allergens for our products. 

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Will the products you deliver look like the photographs shown on your website?

Our product photographs are designed to give a good representation of the products we sell.  Obviously due to the nature of our product, the shape, size & colour may differ from what you see on screen.  Please note that because small game is usually shot with a shotgun it is likely to have some blemishes, pellet holes and/or bruises. Our quality control process means that we filter out any birds with more than three pellet holes or 10% bruising on the breast meat.  If you notice more bruising or pellet holes on your products, please do contact us attaching a photo so we can review accordingly.

If the meat smells when I open the packaging, is it okay to eat?

Don’t worry if you notice a smell when you first open your vacuum-packed meats. It’s normal for meat that has been vacuum packed to develop an aroma while sealed up without oxygen. Once the meat has been left to breathe for a while, the smell will disappear.

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